Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-06-28

HlaSslng in front Anon Franklin discovered
heavy columns on his right BY this mastery
Confederate tactics the corps commanders
were kept expecting an attack all day, and
prevented from sending aid 10 Porter
Again, at sunset, Porter, still desperately
fighting, sent for help. Could it be spared7
Mcclellan asked. Then Sumner sent French's
and Thomas Francis Meagher's brigades, but
confessed that he thought he was running
risk To do it.
The two brigadeSdashed across the bridges
and up the bluff toward Gaines Mil with
shout and cheer, Meagher, the lively Irish
general, at their head i'll bis shirt sleeves. the
soldiers tell
But then it WAS too late
Porter's terribly cut up line had broken in
the center at last. The soldiers who had
fought 50 bravely and SO long were rushing
peIhnoil toward the Chickahominy. in full
rout TIE comrades who had come to save
them could only cover their retreat and stop
the Confederate pursuit.
1t was Hoods and McIaw's Texan hrigades,
of Writings division, that at last broke Fitz
John Porter's line The regular and zouave
regiments did not break
In the fight of Gaines Mil two regiments,
one of New Jersey, the other of Pennsylvania,
were surrounded and taken prisoners. With
them was Brig Gen Reynolds
Under the protection of Meagher's and
French's brigades Porteris whole corps, what
was left of it, retreated to the south bank of
the Chickahominy Some of his artillery
was left behind.
Thus one corps and a division of McClel-
lan's army was made to fight more than two
thirds of the whole Confederate army around
Richmond In this bloody battle Porter's
corps lost 5000 men. killed, wounded and
prisoners; the Confederates, $500
Morning found Fitz John Porter's corps
across the river and the bridges destroyed
behindit Stoneman's and Emory's cavalry,
cut off from the rest of the CORPS escaped by
the way of White House and Yorktown and
went down the York river and up the James
and reioined the army of the Potomac.
During the Peninsula campaign the French
princes, the Due de Chartres and the Comte
de Paris, received a thorough experience of
American warfare They served as aides on
McClellan's staff, with the rank of captain,
from September, 1861, to the close of the
seven days fighting They were the grand
sons of King Louis Philippe, and were the
same two princes that have been recently ex-
lied by the French government With their
uncle, the Prince de Joinville, they followed
the fortunes of the army of the Potomac
They were brave dashing young fellows
then, full of fun and merriment They kept
up their own establishment, with their UNCLE
who was very deaf. Some 6 McClellan's
happiest hours were passed in their tent, in
those weary days
At midnight after the disaster at Gaines
Mill Mcclellan sat in his tent and wrote to
which was never sent by soldier to his su-
periors before: AT save this army now, /
tel you plainly that | owe no thanks to you
or to any other persons in Washington. You
have done your best to sacrifice this army
Then ne announced to his officers his intention
to begin his march south to the James. At
daybreak he was at Savage station, on the
York and Richmond railroad, breaking camp
and preparing for the Journey to the James.
By noon that day, June 2S, Keyes' division
had crossed White Oak swamp and taken po-
sition on the other side of it to guard the pas
sage of ammunition and provision trains.
Summers, Heintzelman's and part of Frank
Inns corps were to remain on the Richmond
side of White Oak swamp, to cover the move
ment of retreat II was well planned.
There was slight action on the morning
of the 2Sth. A heavy Confederate artillery
fire forced Smiths R
division to abandon ~
its position at Gold ~